12:00 – Thanks for following our final panel session! Coming up this afternoon: delegates will break out into their smaller working groups to finalise their recommendations. Alex Murphy of UTS:INSEARCH is helping in facilitate these sessions.

The notion of the “Asian Century” is not all positive, as rapid economic growth and growing influence leads to growing strategic uncertainty. As Washington and Beijing seem set for a new era of rivalry across the Pacific, Jakarta will be a valuable partner. What impact will China’s growing prosperity have on the Asia-Pacific region? How should ASEAN approach this issue, and what role does Australia play? Is Australia’s alliance with the US to its benefit or detriment? Will Australia need to choose between the US and China or can it be friends with both? Indonesia still lags behind its neighbours in defence spending and military capabilities — will this leave it in a vulnerable position? Which power will Indonesia side with: the US or China?

10:00 (Jakarta time) – Welcome to the final day of CAUSINDY! The defence and security panel is just beginning at the Mandarin Oriental.

Sinthya Roesly: Participation in private sectors and helping the government work on ‘the greater good’

Fauzi Ichsan: Indonesia is entering a new era – an exciting era where a commoner became president and the Jakarta elite is loosing their grip on running the country. Fauzi hopes Indonesia and Australia can share in this new era’s progress

12:40 – The elephant in the room is brought up: fuel subsidies.

Fauzi Ichsan: Indonesia has no choice but to do something about fuel subsidies, and Jokowi hopefully has political capital to act #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 16, 2014

Fauzi Ichsan: my feeling is that the fuel price will be hiked quite sharply in the last quarter of this year #CAUSINDY

Chris Barnes: Business can do a lot more to improve the relationship. The relationship is currently ‘underweight’ and many opportunities are being overlooked.

Fauzi Ichsan: Australian banks operating in Indonesia are in a special (even privileged) position. They’re trusted here, got great ratings and can access local funds easily – they can still be doing a lot more, however.

11:00 – Delegates and guests are arriving for our trade and economic panel – it is set to be a lively discussion! Remember to follow the #causindy hashtag for a blow-by-blow account.

10:05 – Colin McDonald reflects on the beginnings of ‘real’ engagement with Indonesia, first under PM Bob Hawke and then much strongly under PM Paul Keating. McDonald was an advisor to both Prime Ministers on Indonesian affairs.

9.45am (Jakarta time): We’re beginning a little early this morning, as we prepare for a discussion with Colin McDonald, QC, a leading barrister and founding member of the Australia-Indonesia Institute.

Also on the program today:

Trade and economics panel, with Fauzi Ichsan, Sinthya Roesly, Chris Barnes and Tommy Tjokro. They’ll be discussing the future of Indonesia’s economic development, and the next steps for Australia in the wake of the mining boom.

Almost 100% delegate participation in #causindy session “transforming the relationship”. Awesome to see – am optimistic for the future — Bede Moore (@BMVenerabilis) September 15, 2014

5:40 – Some themes from this afternoon’s session:

Many Indonesians are not aware of Australia’s multiculturalism – and its success.

Many still view the nation as white, tanned and blonde.

There is a deep respect and acknowledgement of AusAid’s work in the nation. AusAid (under a new name) continues to build a positive relationship between the two nations.

Time to look at how Indonesian students in Australia tend to only socialise with other Indonesians in Australia – engagement is a two way street

Developing Australia’s north is fertile ground for building the relationship – it’s closer to Jakarta than Canberra.

5:13 – TerryMills thinks we need to go back to bare metal before we can go forward together: consider if Indonesia needs Australia and does Australia need Indonesia? Are there good reasons for this relationship? and if there is, how do we amplify this?

Are we (AU and RI) just taking this relationship for granted? Is it important? or is it just two neighbours being polite?

4:50 – Delegate Elena Williams says that spending time in the country creates ‘very real’ friendships and moments of genuine connection. Unfortunately these personal relationships don’t come out of thin air – initiatives like AIYEP, ACICIS and other scholarships are important to make them happen.

But what about the private sector I hear you ask?

Helen Brown asks if the private sector can do more to encourage closer bilateral links. TerryMills highlights energy, food and security as three powerful drivers obeying the relationship. Prodita laments at the lack of interest by Indonesian students in Australian affairs.

4:30 – Prodita Sabarini starts by suggesting that often the discussion of the Australia-Indonesia relationship is framed through an Australian lens – but what do Indonesians think?

Terry Mills recounts his first experience in Indonesia, where he visited Bali as a child – I got something in my blood from visiting Indonesia that hasn’t left since. Mills left the NT Parliament to help build a closer Australian and Indonesian relationship.

A few decades earlier, he moved to Darwin from WA to be closer to Indonesia. As a teacher in Australia, Mills developed a live in program in Kupang for his school (parents thought their kids were going to be living in rice fields!)

Mills reflects on a recent visit to Kupang in his current role, people were excited for the return of Pak Terry! Locals who he visited decades before proudly introduced their children to him – this is why you invest in the Australia and Indonesia relationship.

Although, direct links still weak (cites lack of flights between Jakarta and Darwin).

4:00 – We’re back! This afternoon’s session is Transforming the Relationship with Prodita Sabarini, editor of The Coversation (Indonesia) and Terry Mills, former Northern Territory Chief Minister and current NT Commissioner to Indonesia and ASEAN.

The panel is being moderated by the ABC’s Australia Network Indonesia Correspondent, Helen Brown.

During the break, the delegates broke into small groups to develop recommendations on improving the relationship.

Yose Rizal: many negative campaigns spread through the online media and messaging apps which the middle class use #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

12:20 – Discussion pivoting from the election to the incoming Jokowi administration.

Question: expectations are high. What happens if and when Jokowi doesn’t meet them? #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

High expectations of the President-elect is increasingly becoming a large issue – how can the new administration overcome it? A reminder that Australia has lived through this, with the first Rudd Government.

Yose Rizal: expectations are high for Jokowi, even amongst people who didn’t vote for him. Communicating any successes will be key #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

Perhaps the biggest story in Jakarta at the moment is the proposed winding back of universal voting in some jurisdictions, although people shouldn’t be too concerned by a push by Prabowo to highjack the process.

Q: a lot of talk about Prabowo’s possible intentions to roll back democracy. What does this say about his voters, success? #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

11:50 – Doug Ramage defends Jokowi against allegations that he’ll be a puppet (Selamat siang Mega) or a weak leader.

Ramage cites his past private sector experience (in real business!), and his commitment to change the transactional style of politics in Jakarta, and Indonesia.

Ramage praises the coming of a ‘real’ and reformist leader, finally. Considers SBY a referee who failed to get much of his reform agenda through despite having a mostly friendly DPR.

11:45 – Doug Ramage: People should be studying how Jokowi almost lost (a great thesis topic!).

In short:

• Poor advertising – Jokowi didn’t feature in ads until the eleventh hour of the campaign

• Money wasn’t released for advertising

• Black campaigns against Jokowi were very successful (questions on his religion, ethnicity, etc)

Ramage, cont: undecided voters were going to Prabowo rather than Jokowi for *months* – that shouldn’t have happened considering the candidate and the alternative. Also, Jokowi’s mental revolution stuff came out of nowhere.

Doug Ramadge asked about Jokowi’s ‘mental revolution’: ‘I have no idea what that means…it came out of nowhere’ #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

11:35 – Moderator Devianti Faridz: Which candidate used social media better? Rizal: Prabowo’s campaign was much more structured and better financed. Whereas Jokowi’s campaign was more organic and grassroots focused. Jokowi’s online presence was confusing with no one really sure which was the ‘official’ webitesite or what Twitter and Facebook accounts were official.

11:30 – Yose Rizal up now, he thinks we’ll be seeing a change in the style of governance from the Jokowi administration with ministers getting around in cheaper batik and perhaps a change in hairstyle for their wives.

Yose Risal: we can expect Jokowi and his ministers to live more humble lifestyles now they’re under the glare of social media #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

Rizal, who runs a social media tracking company says that social media is what made the recent election dramatically different to 2009.

Yose Rizal: in 2014, social media became a path into politics for many who’d normally never participate. Cites Jokowi campaigns #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

Of course, there’s a downside to social media. Rizal concedes the ‘black campaigns’ were well orchestrated and influential.

Yose Rizal: our analysis suggests that much of the online ‘black campaigns’ directed against Jokowi was well designed’ #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

11:00 – The panel’s moderator Devianti Faridz from Channel NewsAsia begins with an icebreaker, asking the Indonesian delegates who took part in the election – almost every Indonesian in the room sticks up their hand!

The panel agrees we’re seeing Indonesian democracy continue to mature, however this is not without it’s issues.

Devianti Faridz: the ugliness we saw at times during the election campaign are all part of the ‘growing pains’ of democracy #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

Moving onto the Jokowi Presidency now, panel is concerned about how Jokowi can live up to high expectations. Sati Rasuanto reflects on Indonesia as a land of ambiguity. The fact that you had two candidates claiming victory on election night could have had disastrous consequences in some places, Indonesians didn’t seem to mind at all.

Sati: Despite how chaotic it got after July election, ‘unthinkable’ that Indonesians would turn to violence #CAUSINDY — CAUSINDY (@causindy) September 15, 2014

10:00 (Jakarta time) – Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog! It’s the second day of the conference, and delegates are currently working with facilitators from UTS:INSEARCH to prepare for their presentations, to be delivered later this week. Coming up today:

Election debrief panel, with Yose Rizal, Doug Ramage and Devianti Faridz — a look at the outcomes of this year’s election campaign, and the priorities for Joko Widodo as he takes up the presidency next month.

4:10 – Ross Tapsell asked about media ownership in Indonesia and Australia. First point is the axing of the Australia Network and how the loss of the channel leads us into uncertain terrain in terms of cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.

Tapsell outlines recent (and almost final) work of the Australia Network in getting Australian news content in mainstream Indonesian media (television, print and online), says Australia Network/ABC International worked very hard at getting this done. With the demise of Australia Network, Sky News Australia has announced they’re launching an international service – its motives are unclear however.

Bachelard pivots the discussion to an Indonesian context and examines Prabowo’s friendly media organisations in the recent election, and TVONE in particular. Influence was obvious. But just how important is it in social media crazed Indonesia?

4:50 – Bachelard on Bali: Rightly or wrongly it dominates Australian media coverage of Indonesia.

Bachelard questions why you hear more about Australians getting into trouble in Bali, than you do in say, parts of Thailand.

“If I get a phone call in the middle of the night, its because Channel Nine wants me to talk about a Bali story on breakfast television.

Bachelard continues: more Australians die in Thailand, but Phuket (and other places) doesn’t dominate the coverage in the same way as Bali does for Indonesia.

4:40 – The panel is well underway! Fairfax Media’s Michael Bachelard: “My job is to ‘translate’ events in Indonesia which will interest Australians – from sublime to ridiculous”.

A single day can span from an in-depth profile on Jokowi to the latest news on Schapelle Corby’s boyfriend.

Bachelard also takes aim at criticisms from Canberra on the reporting of various Australian-Indonesian affairs. He concludes, it shouldn’t be expected that journalists have to prioritise unproblematic diplomatic relations over good reporting.

4pm (Jakarta time) – Delegates and guests are meeting before our first panel this year, on portrayals in the media and public opinion.

Welcome to the first instalment of this year’s CAUSINDY live blog! We’ll be sharing updates and observations from this year’s conference, including commentary, notes and quotes from our speakers and delegates.

To open, some background information on CAUSINDY 2014:

This year’s conference is taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta, with events also hosted at Salt Grill and the residence of the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia.

It’s the second Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth, and the first to be hosted in Indonesia.